Augusta County Courthouse Bill Passes GA with Strong Bipartisan Support – UPDATED
As a resident of Augusta County I followed SB 283, the bill that overwhelmingly passed the General Assembly with bipartisan support and opened the opportunity for a new referendum on a decision about the future of the Augusta County courthouse.
Sponsored by my state senator, Emmett Hanger (R-Augusta), and state delegate, John Avoli (R-Staunton), SB 283 was introduced in the 2022 session and read: “Removal of county courthouse; Augusta County; authorization by electorate. Allows Augusta County to hold a referendum in 2022 on the removal of the Augusta County courthouse from the City of Staunton to Augusta County.”
Passing by a vote of 97-0 in the House of Delegates, and 38-2 in the Senate (Deeds, D-Bath and Sutterlein, R-Roanoke County, voted against), it now makes its way to the desk of Governor Glenn Youngkin (R).
News-Virginian reporter Bob Stuart spoke with the senator, writing, “Sen. Emmett Hanger, R-Augusta, said legislators agreed on final language Saturday before adjourning. The legislation includes wording for two different plans on the courthouse and the costs associated…. The legislation stipulates Augusta County voters have access to both plans and the associated costs 60 days prior to the November election, Hanger said.”
Unlike the 2016 referendum, this time language on the ballot should be able to clearly explain the two options and costs associated with each: build a new courthouse at the government center in Verona? Or renovate the current courthouse in downtown Staunton?
In 2016 the cost for building in Verona was on the ballot but not the cost of renovating and expanding at the current location in Staunton.
Staunton News-Leader reporter Bill Atkinson has more:
Now that the bill setting up a new referendum for the Augusta County courthouse has cleared the General Assembly, the next steps in the process are getting the Augusta Circuit Court to sign off on allowing the vote and then getting all of the financial numbers in order to show county voters what they will be asked in November.
…
The question this November would read, “Under Virginia law, the County of Augusta must provide an adequate court facility for the Augusta County courts. To accomplish that purpose, should the county courthouse shall be relocated to the County of Augusta at a cost of $ [estimated cost] or he county courthouse shall remain in the City of Staunton at a cost of $ [estimated cost]?”
Something had to be done after the courthouse issue became a front-burner priority when Judge Chap Goodwin’s comments in 2021 were critical of conditions in the old building. Again, from Stuart: “A solution to upgrading the courthouse took on added urgency last year. Chief Judge Chap Goodwin of the 25th Circuit cited the current facilities in Staunton as ‘insecure, out of repair, or otherwise pose a danger to the health, welfare and safety of court employees or the public.’ ”
If all goes well, the referendum should be on the November 2022 ballot.
UPDATE: Chris Graham at the Augusta Free Press feels firmly that, “This referendum, and the overwhelming approval of a move from Staunton to the county, can’t happen soon enough:” The courthouse referendum needs to happen, and the vote needs to be yes (augustafreepress.com)
